by Ruth Stevens

His topic will
be "Are Human Rights a Hindrance or a Necessity for Fighting
Terrorism?"

Roth, who has
headed Human Rights Watch since 1993, has conducted human rights investigations
around the globe, devoting special attention to issues of justice and
accountability for abuses of human rights, standards governing military conduct
in a time of war, the human rights policies of the United States and the United
Nations, and the human rights responsibilities of multinational businesses.

During Roth's
tenure, the organization has quadrupled in size, expanding its geographic reach
and adding special projects devoted to refugees, children's rights, academic
freedom, international justice, AIDS, gay and lesbian rights, and the human
rights responsibilities of multinational corporations. Human Rights Watch is
now the largest U.S.-based international human rights organization and operates
in some 70 countries.

Before joining
Human Rights Watch, Roth was a federal prosecutor for the U.S. attorney's
office for the southern district of New York and for the Iran-Contra
investigation in Washington. He also worked in private practice as a litigator.